Alkonium Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 I'm just curious if anyone thinks that the Star Wars prequels have too much politics in them. I for one don't mind, in fact, political humour is one of my favourite kinds of humour, but this is about your opinion, not mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynk Former Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 I think its needed to show just how the Republic was destroyed. It's more than just an evil villian with super powers that led to such events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 I agree, the movies would not have made sense had the political parts not been included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK-8252 Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Umm... we are talking about the fall of a republic and the birth of an empire here, after all. It kinda has to have the politics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Obi-Wan Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 I don't care, but I think they belonged there. It sorta helps the storyline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kensai Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 If anything there should have been more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samnmax221 Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 THe politics in the prequels are an importent allegory, the less government the better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redtech Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Personally, it mirrors our society far too much at the mo. If anything, it's a War on Terror allegory. Oh, and I dislike politics, it's far too anal on the details and not on the actions. Way I see it, if you can't call everyone an idiot, including oneself, then you ain't looking hard enough. and that's a failing in any system. Heck, the Emperor's final speech "is" a Bushism right there. I'm surprised he hasn't used it yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkodeon Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Personally, it mirrors our society far too much at the mo. If anything, it's a War on Terror allegory. Oh, and I dislike politics, it's far too anal on the details and not on the actions. Way I see it, if you can't call everyone an idiot, including oneself, then you ain't looking hard enough. and that's a failing in any system. Heck, the Emperor's final speech "is" a Bushism right there. I'm surprised he hasn't used it yet. I agree. I can totally see Bush making a speech like that. Watch, at the end of the presidency, you'll see a "War" pop up, and to ensure the Safety and Security of the Republic of America, Bush will institute his own Imperial Role. XDD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Macca Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Extremely political. Maybe it's trying to give the viewers a good inside to Chancellor Palpatine. He's a main figure throughout Star Wars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good Sir Knight Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 I agree. I can totally see Bush making a speech like that. Watch, at the end of the presidency, you'll see a "War" pop up, and to ensure the Safety and Security of the Republic of America, Bush will institute his own Imperial Role. XDD Nah I think people see what they want to see. If Lucas wanted to make this look like some sort of anti-bush film, it would fail just like all those dried up has beens (Shean). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkodeon Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 Nah I think people see what they want to see. If Lucas wanted to make this look like some sort of anti-bush film, it would fail just like all those dried up has beens (Shean). Considering the fact that a lot of the Senators and characters in the Star Wars universe borrow names from current/past senators, vice-presidents, and other politicians, I think this indeed is a very politically charged by the real world. That being said, George Lucas doesn't seem like the person who blatantly puts out Bush-hate messages, but you can't help but make correlations between today's American government and that of the Galactic Senate, Intended or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redtech Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 I think he would argue it is the classical case of "absolute power corrupts absolutely", which to be fair, is a universal theme. It's just sad that "ol' Bushy" just happens to be the definition of "Insidious" at the moment. Who knows, 10, maybe 20 years down the line, it could be another US president. Although I dunno if we'd have run out of enemies to fight by then? How many countries are there??? --------------------------------------------- Well, there are other standards of goverment as well, the Star Wars "Senate" is pretty similar to the US one, although I would have loved if it was more like the Roman one, anyone who's seen the Beginning credits to Rome:Total War will love the way that the "man" just shouts out the popularist 'everyone with me, say aye!' Notion for just about anything. But I doubt Lucas is going to go through "Democracy 101" to find other methods of policy, so he stuck with what he knew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good Sir Knight Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Alot people don't see Sidious in Bush okay, this is abundantly obvious. Jump on the Band Wagon, If you see Sidious in Bush, great..good for you...Star Wars fans are about as divided as any other American's politicaly so stating it as fact is a coax at best. You need to remember that you see the world from yourself, your beliefs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redtech Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Erm, I'm not American. +350 intellect bonus right there for all the RPG stats fans out there. Somehow I fail to see the plus sides to a leader so incompetant that while declaring war on two countries at once, and threatening a third, he can't save a few hundred people in one of his own cities. Oh yes, if only Bushy could declare war on Hurrican Katrina. If anything, Bush is too stupid to use the Darkside of the force. Your point is "teh win" there. And as already mentioned, I'm "neutral" to the idea that there is such a thing as an ideal leader. But at least I can make many interesting and insulting gestures to world leaders. A TRUE democracy is critical to every single aspect their leaders make. Y'know, if only they did that, the Republic would still stand, so in that way, the film does indeed have a nice metaphor. Probably better to keep the thread on topic, rather than basting on the "my leader is better than yours" bandwagon etc. *sigh* and that's why politics sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkodeon Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Leaders aren't like they used to be. It's like.. the factory in which they came out of simply...went out of business. I mean...Look at Alexander. He united all of the Eastern World under one flag, and he EVEN WENT INTO WAR with his people. Nowadays, if a leader were to step foot on the battlefield... "...LOLOLOLRZ! N00BZ FO' SHO! SNIPZ HIS HEAD, YO!" *Leader is snipered.* *Enemy wins. ;D* That's the problem. I think political leaders are always stuck in their damn offices...they need to get out and see the true problems of the world, not the pretty little picture of High-class lifestyle. ): Oh yeah, and Bush is already turning more and more into Palpatine. D: Dare I say...Patriot Act, anyone? That sounds like a very Palpatine-thing-to-do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSR Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 well, the clone wars and the phantom menace were, but revenge of the sith made up for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good Sir Knight Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 Erm, I'm not American. +350 intellect bonus right there for all the RPG stats fans out there. Right buddy. So what makes the British so smart? I'm not into gross generalizations though I'd suggest you look at your own leader before criticizing ours. Patsy? I understand though. It's so hip to hate America these days, I even see it in my home city. Oh yes, if only Bushy could declare war on Hurrican Katrina. Oh like you even gave a shat. The British press fiended over the carnage. Please don't pretend like you care, they were just a bunch of ignorant Americans right? .....on the "my leader is better than yours" bandwagon etc. *sigh* and that's why politics sucks...... Blair went along with everything, he's such a good little boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK-8252 Posted March 16, 2006 Share Posted March 16, 2006 The problem with comparing Bush to Palpatine is that Palpatine, like Hitler, was a good speaker. He could speak with force and with emotion, to really rally his supporters. Bush is known for being rather sucky when it comes to speeches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurgan Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Well, let's agree that the prequels can be political without Bush = Palpatine being an absolute fact accepted by everyone. The heavy dose of politics in TPM turned off many people and it was somewhat boring and overdone by the time of AOTC. And despite what some have implied, no it was not NECESSARY to show the politics in the prequels. They could have shown the effects of the policies like they did in the classic trilogy, show various characters complain about this or that thing that affects their lives. Palpatine could have gained power via a coupe (remember, this wasn't all set in stone, Lucas freely changed many things, like making Palpatine into a Force user, and making him Chanceller instead of president, and he never had to be a human, though ROTJ strongly implied it, he looked rather strange at that point). Palpatine's machinations were interesting, but it's quite a contrast to the usual swashbuckling adventure we're used to in the rest of the series. Not everyone took up that part of the prequels with gusto. So you had the space opera version of CNN with lots of CGI, that's the impression a lot of people got from their first theater reactions of TPM and AOTC... or else they saw TPM as a silly kiddie cartoon with some preachy politics stamped on top for good measure (and AOTC being a cardboard romance novel with the same type of tacked on political sermon). A political story can be quite interesting, and palace intruige and all that makes for a great yarn. The question is, is it as legitimate a thing to put into a Star Wars flick, or have we been trained so much on the adventure aspect that it seems out of place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redtech Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Snip! If you read my post before, you'd remember I said I am being "neutral", I try to see past the gloss of most rubbish. After all, Kerry is a as big a dolt as Bush, "OMFG! I GOT 200+ KILLS!" Anyway, way I see it, UK is just an American Protectorate in self denial, we can't even dominate our own millitary or airforce! Tell me, if you had a foreign nation dictating your foreign policy, what would you say? As for Katrina, well, I have quite a few American relatives who live in "down south", it's nice to think that if the worst shall happen, they'll be looked after better than some people in a country several thousand miles away who hate everyone's guts. As for Blair, I would point you to a board which has some interesting opinions on the man, but it's NSFW due to any reason imaginable. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Kurgan, you seem to sum up the whole issue really well. Personally, I think the OT had the whole advantage that it didn't matter what the Senate thought, or the attitude of planets towards the rebel aliance, it just told a story using strong characters. But I feel that politics is not black or white, just a mono shade of grey and it's the boring shade at that. I mean, you could easily skip almost all the scenes with the senate and still get a decent film, besides maybe the Jar Jar bit, and personally, I'm annoyed he still does so little in ROTE at least give him a bit where he realises the consequences of his action. If anything, he's too throw away, he didn't need to be in any of the sequels considering the little impact he does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good Sir Knight Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 Look I'm sorry for coming off crisp but I'm just really tired of hearing the "Americans are dumb" generalization. So overused, it's like saying the British have bad teeth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 The heavy dose of politics in TPM turned off many people and it was somewhat boring and overdone by the time of AOTC. The political stuff was some of my favorite stuff from the prequels. It was nice to have a villian who took over the galaxy through means other that straight up conquest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rccar328 Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 The political aspect was undeniable...I think Lucas kind of started going over the edge, but it wasn't too much. The Palpatine thing was political, but it was part of the plot...the attempts at Palpatine=Hitler, and Anakin's "if you're not with me you're my enemy" line were laughable...but I still enjoyed the movie. I stopped caring about politics in movies a long time ago, so it didn't phase me. I agree with Kurgan - keeping the politics out & having characters complain about policies instead would've been interesting...but I think it would've taken away from the films overall, given the political role of the Jedi council. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samnmax221 Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Dare I say...Patriot Act, anyone? That sounds like a very Palpatine-thing-to-do. Only if you have something to hide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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